The Government has received assurances from the insurance industry that businesses will not face significant hikes in premiums as a result of the recent floods.
John Hutton, the Secretary of State for Business and Enterprise, said that the chairman of Royal & SunAlliance, John Napier, as well as representatives from the Association of British Insurers (ABI), had indicated that premiums would not rise.
Monday, September 03, 2007
Almost three months after flood waters enveloped swathes of east Belfast, drains are still filled with litter, residents today claimed.Drains in two of the streets worst hit by the floods - Ardgowan Street and Carrington Street - contain litter, polystyrene and in one case, a large piece of wood. Several have weeds growing undisturbed.
Residents said they have not seen the drains being cleaned for yearThe Environment Agency said the works would strengthen the 50-year-old flood wall and defence banks in Warden.
In 2005, emergency repairs had to be carried out when the River Tyne at Warden bursts its banks flooding 20 houses and businesses.
More than 18,000 tonnes of clay is being imported to rebuild the 600-metre long flood bank.Posted
Updated
Conservationists are warning that the pristine tropical rivers in Australia's far north are at risk unless there are proper measures to protect them.
They are calling for a national management plan similar to those that exist for national parks and marine conservation areas elsewhere.
Stuart Blanch from WWF says despite their pristine nature, even the biggest tropical rivers right across the Northern Territory are under similar pressures to the clogged and polluted waterways in southern Australia.
"Northern Australia's rivers are generally the best in Australia that are left today, and they really are the crown jewels in Australia, as well as for many tropical areas in the world," he said.
"So if we don't look after them, they will end up like the Murray."
The iconic Daly River is one of the great tropical rivers of northern Australia. When it floods - as it often does in the wet season - it is a force that has to be seen to be believed. It can turn a vast area of the top end into an archipelago, isolating communities south-west of Darwin from road or land contact.
WWF says the reported sighting of a Yangtze River dolphin, or baiji, means there is still a chance to protect cetaceans in the Yangtze from extinction through a program established with HSBC.
The Chinese media reported that a local businessman in Tongling City in Anhui Province filmed "a big white animal" with his digital camera on August 19. The footage was later confirmed to be a baiji by Professor Wang Ding, a leading scientist in baiji study at the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
It is the first baiji reportedly found in the Yangtze since a scientific expedition last year, during which no single baiji was spotted.
"The finding of baiji proved our thoughts and presents a last hope to save the species with strengthened measures," said Dr. Zhu Jiang, senior programme officer at WWF-China's Wuhan Office. "The protection strategies and action plan will be implemented under the WWF-HSBC programme to conserve the baiji and the Yangtze together with related stakeholders."
RAINFALL SITUATION IN THE COUNTRY (during last 24 hours)
Loss of Human lives
- As per provisional information received from the affected States, 09 human deaths have been reported during the last 24 hrs. The cumulative number of people who lost their lives during the South West Monsoon so far is 2374.
IMD
- Yesterday’s low pressure area over west-central Bay of Bengal and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal & coastal areas of north Andhra Pradesh persists. Under its influence, widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy falls is likely over Coastal Andhra Pradesh till tomorrow and decrease thereafter. Fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls also likely to commence over Orissa and Chhattisgarh from tomorrow onwards.
- The current meteorological analysis suggests that fairly widespread rainfall with scattered heavy to very heavy fall likely over northeastern States during next 3-4 days.
- In association with an off-shore trough widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy falls is likely along the West coast during next 3 days.
- The axis of the monsoon trough passes through Anupgarh, Churu, Gwalior, Satna, Champa Titlagarh, centre of low pressure area and thence south east into west central Bay of Bengal.
CWC
There are 21 Moderate and 20 Low flood situation sites.
Oxford City Council leader John Goddard has launched an attack on the Environment Agency over what he says are inadequate flood defences.
He said he was fed up with 'excuses' and wanted action to be taken.
Floods in July wreaked havoc for many residents as the River Thames teetered on the brink of bursting.
Mr Goddard said the damage was bad enough - but added the city had been millimetres from a complete catastrophe.
The council is to conduct a wholesale review of its planning policy to ensure any new development does not add to the flooding problems.
But he has called for civic leaders and Oxfordshire MPs to join forces in a campaign for action.
